Even though, there are artists, fine arts schools and galleries in the city, the street art scene in Coimbatore is still in a nascent stage. What we have are political posters, film banners and hoardings. But thanks to city clean-up drives by young volunteers, there has been some effort from the civilians’ side to spruce up grimy walls. So, if you are walking or driving around the city, you may just bump into an odd colourful wall with graffiti or some social message.
C. Kishore, the Managing Trustee of My City Clean City, and his team organised a dozen clean up drives in the city, each of which concluded with the volunteers painting on the walls. “We usually focus on contemporary and relevant themes such as environment pollution, energy conservation and gender discrimination. Street art is also an effective way to bring people together and improve public participation,” he says.
Otherwise, most of the art happens within the closed walls of a gallery. Very rarely do artists gather around in the streets, says Raviraj, the director of Lalit Kalakshetra. “There is very little awareness about street art here. Look at how Biennale has transformed the art scene in Kochi. In European countries, people have explored new dimensions in this field by transforming building, monuments and steps into a space for three-dimensional art. Street art can speak volumes about the culture of a city.”
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There are a few good spots in Coimbatore, where you can initiate street art, he says. “But, the congested traffic is the main hurdle. Where is the time and space for people to enjoy art, amid hoardings and advertisement placards? Race Course, with its many cut roads, will make a good venue for artists to gather around. But, ideally, graffiti makes sense in an area where there are a lot of people.” This can also be a great way to showcase the talents of upcoming artists.
Coimbatore can learn a few lessons from Fort Kochi in this regard, says city-based artist, Jitha Karthikeyan. “There, the corporation ropes in artists from different cities — even to paint the walls of a sewage plant! Professional artists must be called upon for street art. Unlike standardised public awareness posters, these images will be unique and appealing. That will make the people curious, and inspire them to actually stop in their tracks, look at the painting and think.”